HEILBRONN, May 15, 2018
German teenager Rudolf Molleker earned his first main draw match win on the ATP Challenger Tour on Tuesday. The 17-year-old wild card entry defeated World No. 205 Enrique López-Pérez of Spain 6-4, 6-3 to reach the second round of the €85,000 NECKARCUP in Heilbronn.
Molleker, who appears in his sixth ATP Challenger event, struck eight aces, winning 80 per cent of his first service points and broke his opponent three times to secure victory in one hour and 12 minutes. Next up for World No. 497 will be compatriot and No. 4 seed Yannick Hanfmann.
In his fourth appearance at the Tennis Club Trappensee Heilbronn, Dustin Brown won his first match, fighting past #NextGenATP Norwegian Casper Ruud 7-6, 4-6, 6-3. The 33-year-old German converted two of his five break point chances and won 9 points more than the teenager to prevail after one hour and 43 minutes. Brown will next take on fellow countryman Mats Moraing.
No. 1 seed falls
Top seed John Millman lost to Juan-Ignacio Londero 6-1, 1-6, 2-6. The 28-year-old Australian, who is currently ranked on a career high World No. 58 after clinching the title in Aix-en-Provence last Sunday, lost his serve five times and the Argentine finished the first meeting between the two after one hour and 17 minutes.
Londero will next play German wild card entry Dominik Köpfer.
RESULTS – MAY 15, 2018
Singles – First Round
J. Londero (ARG) d [1] J. Millman (AUS) 16 61 62
[2] J. Vesely (CZE) d [WC] M. Moeller (GER) 62 62
[3] Y. Maden (GER) d D. Novikov (USA) 64 30 Retired
M. Moraing (GER) d [5] J. Zopp (EST) 64 76(5)
[6] H. Laaksonen (SUI) d A. Giannessi (ITA) 46 64 64
[WC] T. Puetz (GER) d [8] N. Gombos (SVK) 64 46 63
[WC] D. Koepfer (GER) d [Q] D. Masur (GER) 75 64
O. Otte (GER) d B. Rola (SLO) 46 63 76(6)
[WC] R. Molleker (GER) d E. Lopez Perez (ESP) 64 63
[Q] B. Zapata Miralles (ESP) d T. Kamke (GER) 60 64
D. Brown (GER) d C. Ruud (NOR) 76(4) 46 63
[Q] B. Hassan (GER) d M. Bachinger (GER) 62 67(3) 63
[Q] I. Sijsling (NED) d D. King (BAR) 64 41 Retired
Doubles – First Round
S. Gille (BEL) / J. Vliegen (BEL) d [2] K. Skupski (GBR) / N. Skupski (GBR) 76(7) 64
[4] D. Molchanov (UKR) / I. Zelenay (SVK) d R. Jebavy (CZE) / F. Mergea (ROU) 67(5) 64 10-4
[WC] A. Giannessi (ITA) / E. Lopez Perez (ESP) d [WC] T. Altuna (TUR) / F. Romboli (BRA) 62 63
J. Nedunchezhiyan (IND) / T. Weissborn (AUT) d D. Brown (GER) / D. King (BAR) 63 64
